Mexico City - Mexico and France have signed important agreements to enhance their collaboration on agricultural matters.

During the official visit to France of the Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto, the Mexican agriculture minister Enrique Martínez y Martínez also met with his French counterpart Stéphane Le Foll.

The two ministers analyzed opportunities for strengthening cooperation, investment and market development.

Mr Martínez said that the two countries are in new phase of modernization of the Mexico-France relationship, proof of this are the agreements signed by the presidents of both nations. Attention to areas such as climate change, research and development of good agricultural practices, agronomic and veterinary education, livestock and agribusiness, are points of collaboration that will strengthen their partnership.

He stressed that Mexico and France are countries with significant agricultural potential, so this new framework will allow for joint collaboration to improve food security projects.

Mr Martínez recalled that 15 years after the signing of the initial Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and Mexico, this agreement is about to enter a period of review. Products such as bananas, beef, sugar, honey, agave syrup, tuna and orange juice, among others, have significant potential to expand their share of the European market, he added.

In 2014, the food and fishing trade between Mexico and the EU reached $2,866,000 dollars, hence the importance of strengthening ties for the exchange of agricultural, livestock and agro-industrial goods between the parties, Mr Martínez said.

Mr Le Foll made an invitation to the Mexican minister for Mexico to participate as a partner in France's launch of a global initiative to promote good agricultural practices that enhance soil organic matter, thus allowing agriculture to improve its contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change.

Mr Le Foll said that this initiative will be announced within the framework of the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 21), to be held next December in Paris.

A Letter of Intent was signed in the presence of the two countries' presidents, Enrique Peña Nieto and Francois Hollande, which will allow the implementation of joint actions on three central themes: scientific and technological exchange, food security, and climate change.